Presentations

Nanoscale Engineering of Biointerfaces via Parylene Coatings

“Anisotropic textured surfaces is generated in the same way in both the plant and animal kingdoms, using dual micro/nanoscale features to tune roughness and surface energy on structures as diverse as plant leaves, animal fur, and bird feathers. For example, a closer look at complex structures in water walking arthropods and lizard toes reveal organized anisotropic textured features at the microscopic scale. These structures are composed of millions of aligned columns per square millimeter, which create novel anisotropic properties. We engineered the first unidirectional (anisotropic) nanoscale surface for precisely tuning surface wettability, friction and adhesion. The surfaces, which comprise an asymmetric array of tilted polymer nanorods, are smooth on the microscale. In this talk, we will describe unique anisotropic physicochemical properties (i.e. morphing/folding, wetting, and friction) of anisotropic nano-rods/tubes, which mimic biological structures at the microscopic scale. This technology will provide significant advances for producing new generations of coatings that will be of great value to the medical and energy industries.”